Shed

6" x 6" oil on board

A little mysterious and loose and painted over another painting that had lived long enough. 

Cattle Gate

Cattle Gate

12" x 16" oil on board

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Conditions went from bright sunshine to long periods of thick cumulus clouds and back to bright sunshine during the two or so hours I worked on this painting.  I think I started around 2pm...The blended lighting conditions might be noticeable if you look closely, which I'm pretty sure is some kind of plein air no-no.  But ya know what?  Don't care...

More and more, I prefer paintings that are not strait forward.  I want a little poetry, mystery and abstraction, and I actually get more of a response when I create that type of painting than I do for more realistic paintings. So I like this one - it's got a lot going on.  

Seldom Seen

 

Seldom Seen

6" x 6" oil on board

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I like this painting and it was fun to paint. I painted over an old painting, which is always satisfying, especially when it's a terrible painting as was the case here - a muddy old painting of sardines in a bowl.  

It's tough not to fall into the trap of painting "things." Things, meaning trees, mountains, individual leaves, etc. When you're painting "things" a painting is much more likely to become muddy and dead. 

What I like about this painting is that instead of painting "things" I suggested them with shapes, color temperature, and values. I'm always afraid that my judgement is completely wrong but to me, this reads mountains and trees with light on snow just as much or more than a photo-realistic painting does. The longer I paint and the more I study painting, the more I prefer paintings that are abstract and a little mysterious - paintings that force the viewer to make his or her own conclusions. 

Abstract Tabletop

 

Abstract Tabletop

12" x 12" oil on board

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I almost called this one, "The Struggle." This is what I'm up against if I decide to do a little painting on the sun porch after a grueling virtual school planning day. All manner of games and cards and buzzers, pencils and papers must be cleared before I can start. Luckily, I didn't know what I wanted to paint anyway, so I painted the tabletop. 

I'm weird and maybe this is what makes me an artist but I'm drawn to random arrangements and trying to find balance in them (maybe that makes them not truly random?) Whether or not true randomness exists and whether or not I captured it in this painting is debatable.  But, I actually had fun painting, despite the clutter. 

Hills of Chiapas

 

Hills of Chiapas

16" x 20" oil on canvas

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Most of the paintings I've completed this year have been painted outdoors. But, it was raining today and the kids were away on a playdate so I decided to work from a photo. 

The image is from a 2014 road trip through Mexico that started in Mexico City and ended in Tulum. We explored six different cities and drove well over 1200 miles.  The photo that I referenced was taken somewhere between San Cristobal De Las Casas and Palenque in the State of Chiapas. The Sierra Madre reach over 13000 feet in this stretch, and I'd guess that we were close to that altitude. 

I often wonder if I'd have the guts (or stupidity) to complete the trip again. It was the greatest adventure of my life, but that's because it was my first road trip outside of the US and I was naive and awestruck.  I didn't even speak Spanish at the time.  I made a list during the trip of all the crazy things we saw and experienced, but it's too long to include here.  

One thing is for sure - if I did do the trip again, I'd add a stop between San Cristobal De Las Casas and Merida.  That leg is 14 hours WITHOUT the pretty serious earthquake that knocked out power and caused mudslides, rock slides, and road and bridge collapses.  Add to those setbacks a non-functioning cigarette lighter that was supposed to be charging our GPS, and a serious case of Montezuma's revenge and...you get the picture.  It is a literal miracle that we found our hotel in Merida.  The GPS had been dead for 400 miles.  The paper map we had did not even show the street that our hotel was located on.  Yet, we arrived.  We arrived without even searching...I honestly can't explain how it happened. 

I've been thinking about this painting ever since. I just didn't think I had the skill to make it turn out the way I wanted it to. I'm still not sure, but that's the reason I keep painting and documenting in this blog.  Year fifteen starts in four days.  I do have a lot of paint leftover after this one - maybe I'll squeeze in one more.  Pretty sure I'd do the trip again. 

Haiku

 

Haiku

6" x 6" oil on board

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November light fades

Above, crow flecked clouds scurry 

On winter's approach

Fern

 

Fern

8" x 8" oil on board

My brain reacts to stress by blocking out everything but what's in front of my face and shutting down any tasks not essential to survival.  That includes painting. And for the last 5 months, I've been stressed. The longest I've gone without painting in twelve years. But it's summer vacation, and I found a little space today.  These aren't great, but at least I tried. The top one has been wiped...

Last Rose Study

Last Rose Study

4" x 6" oil on board

Pretty much everything I did with this painting was wrong.  I started off trying to do a no correction painting, but I wound up vastly overpainting.  I rushed and used the wrong brushes and overworked what was supposed to be the focal point (the flower). My biggest mistake was trying to paint while my kids were still awake. I went in to get things ready, intending to start after I put Carson to bed, but somehow I fell in to painting and couldn't stop. 

But, I did learn from it. I like the color palette, and I added in a blue toward the end that I would use from the beginning if I did it again, which I should. It's tough to tell, but my espresso maker is hiding in the back, and that's my favorite part. Colors were Pthalo red rose, lemon yellow, black, and cerulean blue. Google had a Vermeer theme today. I really like his color palette and wanted to do something similar...not sure Vermeer would approve of this one, though. 

Espresso Maker Study

 

Espresso Maker Study

6" x 6" oil on board

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A while back, I had an idea to try doing a painting with zero corrections. No matter what the composition; put down a stroke and leave it without wiping, painting over, or correcting in any way. Maybe that sounds easy but trust me, it's not.  And it's even harder to post something with zero corrections. 

Coincidentally, although I have a strong desire to paint, I'm also having trouble finding the time and energy to do it. So, this is the perfect time to try some no correction paintings! 

I used three colors: Venetian Red, cadmium yellow light, and blue-black, plus white. It took less than half an hour to paint. I say this a lot, but hopefully that's not obvious in a bad way. I want to do more of these and post them, so if you happen to be looking at this blog for the first time, just know that this is an experiment and please scroll down a little further. I actually kind of like it, though. 

Cowpasture River

Cowpasture River
5" x 7" oil on board
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Just downstream from the confluence of the Bullpasture River and Cowpasture River in Highland County, VA, near the "town" of Williamsville. Town is in quotation marks because there is one stop sign and a trout hatchery in Williamsville...there used to be a nice country store there, but it closed down years ago. Still, the Bullpasture River Valley is one of my favorite places on earth.

I struggled with this one and almost wiped it. Then, I debated whether or not to post it.

Abstract II

Abstract II
Oil on canvas (large)
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I had some ideas for how I wanted this to look, but of course it turned out differently and a little more representational than I had planned - I had no scene in mind when I started....it was fun trying to balance it out, and I like it.

Also, 2019 was the10th year of this blog.  Anyone still looking?

Abstract

Abstract
16" x 20" oil on board
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Backyard - Early Summer

Backyard - Early Summer
18" x 24" oil on board
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When I look at the last few paintings I've done, I see more confidence in value, color, and brushstroke. I think that's because I've started them as though I wasn't going to do anything with them (i.e. post or attempt to sell). Lesson?  Stop thinking and paint.

Nectarines

Nectarines
6" x 6" oil on board
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Experimenting with less detail.

Spider Plant II

Spider Plant II
8" x 10" oil on board
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Spider Plant I

Spider Plant I
6" x 6" oil on board
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Succulent

Succulent
9" x 12" oil on board
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Drift Rose Study II

Drift Rose Study II
5" x 7" oil on board
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The second of my election day drift rose studies. I painted these under a combination of natural, north light and three overhead 60 watt GE bulbs, trying to keep the shapes as simple as possible.

Drift Rose Study

Drift Rose Study
5" x 7" oil on board
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After voting on election day, I painted flowers, secure in the notion that our country was headed in the right direction...I'm happy with the results of my paintings; the election, not so much.

Fruit Basket with Kosher Salt and Wine

Fruit Basket with Kosher Salt and Wine
16" x 20" oil on board


I painted this sometime over the summer and just never posted it. I had woken up around 3am and couldn't go back to sleep, so I just got up.  Then I got the urge to paint. I really like the looseness and the abstract shapes in the background that are actually kitchen appliances and cabinets. I think what made me want to paint was that that the arrangement was just there, prearranged, and I like it when I don't have to artificially pose objects to create a composition.